imported post
Pistol-Packing-Preacher-in-PV wrote:
"I don't mean to insult you, but I find these 'I saw a dog and went for my gun' threads to be a bit silly. I've been attacked by dogs plenty of times..."
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All well and good, unless you have several small children with you that the dog may or may not try to attack instead of you. I made my choice, and ended the threat.
Period.
In my opinion, anyone who is armed is an idiot if they decide to "take a bite" (or any kind of damage) when facing a large, hostile animal.
YMMV.
I agree, all well and good, indeed. I dropped 5 when my son was with me. I know I can handle them, but he can't help but show fear and retreat.
I tend to consider my environment and identify my (potantial) target. Is it one or more? Tags? In a place likely to have an owner nearby? Wild dogs clearly out on their own as I wander through the middle of nowhere? I'm not taking a bite from a dog that might be diseased. Hell no. But somebody's pet letting the freedom go to it's head on a rare outing? Really, who's fault is that? It's a friggin' DOG. I have more respect for a dog that gets out of the house once a month with an owner who has no idea how to speak it's own language to it, than I do for any common thug or even that same dog's owner. But if it is a clear and uncontrollable threat, you're damn right I'd shoot it too! But I'd feel worse about it than shooting a person.
Now, that yappy damn chihuahua in the bimbo's purse at the mall... That little turd might get popped... ;-)
I'm just saying that when I encounter a dog, I'm not stupid enough to think it's looking for a fight. It's claiming superiority, and if I let it, yes, it might become dangerous. Be smart enough to 'speak dog' and you probably won't have to shoot it. But if you act scared, stop in your tracks, retreat, etc... You're teasing it. You're inviting it to attack, and it probably will. Maybe YOU don't understand that, and in your own mind you're just defending yourself from the crazy animal. But the TRUTH is that you taunted that dog who was merely testing you like they are wired to by nature. You teased it, goaded it, taunted it into attacking you (whether you are ignorant of that or not doesn't matter, the dog doesn't know any better), and then you killed it... In a group, well, the circumstance changes a bit.
Would you peel out and do donuts in an intersection in front of the cops? No, that would be stupid. Would you send a written invitation to a narcotics detective that says "Hey, come on over to my place and get high, we've got a big ol' pile of crack here!" No, I doubt you would.
Dogs can be trained, yes. To a degree. But we, being the (supposedly) more intelligent of the two, are much better off learning to speak their language. Just as in any other situation, your children and family are always safer if you use something other than a gun to prevent a situation from escalating to the point where you need it. People unknowingly goad and tease dogs into attacking them by being ignorant in how they respond to a charging dog that is barking. If you know how to assert dominance, you can walk among wild lions.
I'm not saying that you shouldn't kill em if the situation is already 'that bad.' But knowing how to respond to them in a way they understand, instead of unintentionally provoking them, is still better. Why escalate when you can do the opposite by getting a clue? Dogs CAN be reasoned with, unlike the guy with a knife who says "gimmie yer dogh!" You just have to speak a language they understand. Dogs are very unlikely to be a real threat, unless you (knowingly or not) choose to provoke them.
I can walk into the yard of a Pit or (don't laugh, they can be very hostile) Dalmation who's own owner won't even try. Not because I am any kind of macho or have Dundee-like powers of any kind. I just speak their language and diffuse the situation. I think YOUR wife and kids are worth a little self-education, no?
I think most people who see a dog charging and barking, all the other aggressive indicators, etc, just assume they are about to be attacked. You notice how it slows down and circles when it gets close? Even when you retreat? It's about dominance, ego if you will. It doesn't want to bite you. It's telling you "I'm a big badass, you better respect me." And if you don't say back "Hey, I'm a badass too, you better respect that!" It feels like you're saying "You're not even worth proving anything to, you worthless dickhead!" Does that seem like you're showing respect? Or taunting? The dog expects a response of value-advertisement, in it's mind, to show that you see it has value of it's own. If you don't provide one, you're disrespecting it, and that takes what was merely a challenge to the next level.
As humans, we subscribe to an "If you have to prove it, then it must be a lie" form of value presentation. And we're right about that. But dogs aren't as smart as we are. We presume that a dog that is charging and barking is simply getting closer so he can make good on a threat. The dog you need to worry about, is the one that ISN'T barking. If he wanted to bite you, he wouldn't be alerting you to his presence! He's advertising. "Look at me, I'm a badass, look how scary I am, you better respect me!"
If you have big enough balls, try it. If you have to deal with a small group of them, pay attention to which ones are barking and how that changes when you move. You'll notice the ones sneaking in close when you act distracted by the loud one, are quiet, and NOT showing what most people believe are the aggression indicators.
I wouldn't advise it, because some dogs are more prone to actually attacking than others, and breed has little to do with it. You just have to learn how they act, and few people make the effort to learn that. A dog accustomed to never being challenged my 1) know he is all bark and no bite 2) may simply have no tolerance for your defiance and tear your arm off! Can you tell the difference? Do you care? Kill 'em all and let Allah sort 'em out? "Daddy blasts big bloody holes in every dog that barks at him" doesn't seem like a good thing to teach my kids... Especially when I might not be able to get them all. There comes a point where you have to put away the macho and say to yourself "maybe I'm doing this all wrong." Maybe what you're doing is causing the problem, and you now need the gun because you're stuck on stupid?? I'm speaking of absolutes here, and am not accusing you of being a complete dumbass.
Is there a loud dog in a fenced yard nearby? Go sit down, leaning your back against the fence pole, with your back to it. Stand up, scream unintelligably at it.... If no one is around, jump the fence (trespassing, I know) and chase the little turd. See how the game changes in HIS territory? Yeah, everyone will probably think you're a wacko. Why? Because you're not acting like a sane person. You're acting like a sane dog.
Anyway, this is long-winded. If you really care about the safety of your family and children, you'll learn how to NOT escalate a dog encounter to the point where you'll need to shoot it. It is almost always a matter of mis-communication. Dogs don't speak human. All the training in the world won't make them as intelligent as we are. Learn to communicate in their language, and you can stop escalating by accident. That is always a good thing.
Maybe you just don't give a damn and see your gun as the mighty salvation (I doubt you're that guy). Fine, whatever. But I bet my kids are safer with a Dad who knows how to speak dog, than one who pisses dogs off (intentionally or not) and goes for his gun after doing it... Knowledge and communication are always better than bullets. Is it not always better to exhaust all other options? Sure, it's a dog, and you'll probably have a lot less liability for pulling that trigger. But it speaks to the kind of man you are if you're more willing to pull that trigger just because you can get away with it, when a little education could avoid it...
I'm responding to extremes, and representing the same, to make the intent of my words clearer, not to construct a straw man or to insult or be confrontational.
